"The Future Of Publishing"

Ashley and Carolyn Grayson Literary Agency

Saturday, Sept 18th, 3:00 pm
Palms-Rancho Park Library, Los Angeles CA

About the Agency: The Ashley Grayson Literary Agency represents literary and commercial fiction, as well as non-fiction for adults (self-help, parenting, pop culture, mind/body/spirit, true crime, business, science). We also represent fiction for younger readers (chapter books through YA). The Ashley Grayson Agency is easy to understand:

• To become a client you must write a stunning work, not just a publishable one.
• We value authors and their works as investments and think of ourselves as "value investors" (like Warren Buffett) not "day traders" looking to turn a quick buck flogging a manuscript to publishers.
• We fully understand the technology and new business model of electronic publishing.

See list of genres handled below for more information about what we like to see.

Ashley Grayson interviewed on The Huffington Post

Our most recent Agency Blog Post is at: http://graysonagency.com/blog

Most recent posts: Directive 51 on sale, iPad news, Amazon Pulls Macmillan Titles from Online Store. Print is declining, The Nook reviews, Apple tablet e-book terms

GENRES & SPECIALTIES General fiction Mystery / Thrillers Romance Fantasy/science fiction Juvenile fiction Computers/technology Business/investing/finance History Mind/body/spirit Health Lifestyle Sports Science Literary fiction Multicultural fiction

Summer 2010 Successes:

John Barnes's YA novel, "Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973" (Viking) - now a Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book! read the American Library Association Press announcement at ALA website - The LA Times review says Karl Shoemaker is "as troubled, relevant, relatable and hilarious as J.D. Salinger's Holden Caulfield." Read LA Times review at at The Los Angeles Times

Carrie Vaughn's "Kitty Goes To War" debuts at #17 on NY Times Mass Market Best Seller List

Christopher Pike's "Thirst" No. 1 now 29 weeks on NY Times Children's Best Seller List and "Thirst" No. 2 now 7 weeks on NY Times Children's Best Seller List.

LEADING CLIENTS

Clients include Isaac Adamson (HarperCollins), John Barnes (Viking, Tor, Ace), Andrew Fox (Ballantine), Barb and J.C. Hendee (ROC), Geoffrey Landis (Tor), Rick Tillotson (Clarkson Potter), Carrie Vaughn (Grand Central, HarperCollins, Tor).

In children's books, our clients include Bruce Coville (Harcourt), J.B. Cheaney (Knopf), Kirk Scroggs (Little, Brown), Allison van Diepen (Simon Pulse and Harlequin Teen).

BEST-KNOWN PROJECTS

MAGIC SHOP series by Bruce Coville
CHAIN LETTER and LAST VAMPIRE series by Christopher Pike
THE SKY SO BIG AND BLACK by John Barnes
THE RETURN by Buzz Aldrin and John Barnes
DHAMPIR and the Noble Dead series by Barb and JC Hendee
KITTY AND THE MIDNIGHT HOUR series by Carrie Vaughn

Fiction
DIRECTIVE 51, PRESIDENT 51, and third Untitled by John Barnes, Ace
BLOOD MEMORIES and HUNTING MEMORIES by Barb Hendee, NAL/ROC
Three untitled novels in the Noble Dead series by Barb and J.C. Hendee, NAL/ROC
TINY LITTLE TROUBLES by Marc Lecard, St. Martin's Press
GENTLEMEN PREFER SUCCUBI and SUCCUBI LIKE IT HOT by Jill Myles, Pocket Books
KITTY'S HOUSE OF HORRORS by Carrie Vaughn, Grand Central Publishing
DISCORD'S APPLE and AFTER THE GOLDEN AGE by Carrie Vaughn, Tor
HER WARRIOR KING by Michelle Willingham, Harlequin Mills & Boon
LOVE, LIES AND A DOUBLE SHOT OF DECEPTION by Lois Winston, Dorchester
Non-fiction
BE BLESSED by Denise Dumars, New Page
A PERVERSION OF JUSTICE by Kathryn Medico and Mollye Barrows (true crime), Morrow
CAVE PAINTINGS TO PICASSO:THE INSIDE SCOOP ON 50 ART MASTERPIECES by Henry Sayre (children's book about art), Chronicle Books
CAT YOGA by Rick Tillotson, Clarkson Potter
Books for younger readers
TALES OF THE MADMAN UNDERGROUND by John Barnes, Viking Children's Books
THE MIDDLE OF SOMEWHERE by J.B. Cheaney, Knopf
EYES LIKE STARS and PERCHANCE TO DREAM by Lisa Mantchev, Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan
JURASSIC GRAMPA in the WILEY & GRAMPA'S CREATURE FEATURES chapter book series by Kirk Scroggs, Little Brown Books for Young Readers
RAVEN by Allison van Diepen, Simon Pulse at Simon & Schuster
THE ORACLE OF DATING by Allison van Diepen, Harlequin Teen
VOICES OF DRAGONS by Carrie Vaughn, HarperCollins

MOST RECENT RIGHTS SALES

We successfully handle most foreign rights sales ourselves. We attend (most years) the major rights fairs in Bologna, Frankfurt, and BEA. Film rights to Bruce Coville's MAGIC SHOP series to Universal in six-picture deal; publication rights to Fragment (Czech Republic), Havas Poche (France), Ravensburger (Germany), Minoas (Greece), Kodansha (Japan), Bertrand (Portugal), Corint Junior (Romania), PenPocket (Thailand), Hodder (U.K.); MONSTER ROAD by David Lubar sold to Clavis, The Netherlands; KITTY AND THE MIDNIGHT HOUR, KITTY GOES TO WASHINGTON, and KITTY TAKES A HOLIDAY by Carrie Vaughn at auction to Heyne/Random House in Germany; FAT WHITE VAMPIRE BLUES by Andrew Fox to Andrews Press of Japan and AST of Russia; MOVE YOUR STUFF, CHANGE YOUR LIFE by Karen Rauch Carter in French, Korean, Portuguese, Polish.

OTHER LEADING RIGHTS OFFERINGS

Agents for the estates of A.E. van Vogt and James White. The classic SLAN has been republished by TOR to coincide with the first publication of SLAN HUNTER by A.E. van Vogt and Kevin J. Anderson.

SPECIALIZED TRAINING, WORK EXPERIENCE, HONORS

• Ashley Grayson and Carolyn Grayson are members of the Assn. of Authors' Representatives (AAR).
• Ashley Grayson is a member of SFWA and the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
• Carolyn Grayson, Lois Winston, Denise Dumars are members of Romance Writers of America (RWA).

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Published authors of fiction and non-fiction: We are still accepting clients who are previously published by a known publisher (no self-published or print-on-demand).

Unpublished authors - Fiction: The agency is temporarily closed to queries from writers who are not published at book length (self published or print-on-demand do not count). There are only three exceptions to this policy:

(1) Unpublished authors who have received an offer from a reputable publisher, who need an agent before beginning contract negotiations;

(2) Authors who are recommended by a published author, editor or agent who has read the work in question;

(3) Authors whom we have met at conferences and from whom we have requested submissions.

Unpublished authors - Non-fiction: Authors who are recognized within their field or area may still query with proposals. Note: We cannot review self-published, subsidy-published, and POD-published works to evaluate moving them to mainstream publishers.

How to submit :

If you meet the criteria above, send query letter plus list of your publication credits, including by whom published and year of publication. Ashley Grayson, Carolyn Grayson, and Lois Winston accept queries by email. Do not include attachments to your email unless requested. Denise Dumars does not accept queries by email; send by ordinary post. Never ever, ever send a query by certified mail. Do not query more than one agent in our agency, whether by email or post; we will make sure that your query reaches the right person.